Summer in a Nutshell

Once you've worked at Long Lake for long enough, you come to understand that not every year can be fantastic. This year, while not awful, was pretty rough. Aside from a lot of issues stemming from the fact that a couple of people I thought were my friends turned out to be really, really not what I thought they were, I also injured my right hand pretty seriously and my dog got hit by a car...among other things.

I hurt my hand while catching on the flying trapeze a couple of days before our second session Parents Weekend show went up. A kid flew at me crooked and I caught his wrist with my left hand and his head with my right. My thumb bent all the way back and, once I managed to sit upright in the trapeze again, I watched as my hand blew up to a really unnatural size. I got down the ladder (somehow), went to the nurse, had someone find Chrissymine for me, and was immediately whisked away to the doctor and then to urgent care for X-rays. Good news: it's not broken. Bad news: I tore a bunch of ligaments all around my thumb and I had to go to Albany to see a hand specialist who said (more good news) I DON'T need surgery, but also that (more bad news) I have to wear a splint for four weeks (I think I only have another week or so to go with that) and that I can't do any physical activity with that hand for six (so I guess I have another two or three weeks to go for that part). I couldn't do ANYTHING for the last four weeks of camp. I mean, I coached and choreographed and directed and ran my department and everything, and we put on our shows second and third session as expected (even though third session we were one person down, another unfortunate and unexpected thing that happened this summer), but I can't cut my own food, do my own hair, carry anything, write, in fact I shouldn't even be typing right now because it hurts. I have a splint I have to wear and everything. I'm totally worried I'm going to lose the strength I worked so hard to gain over the past year or more. The whole situation pretty much destroyed me and I'm still having a hard time even now, a month later. Thank goodness for Chrissymine. She's done everything she can (all while insisting I'm a "terrible patient") to help me out--she got me to ice my hand all the time for the first couple of weeks, she carried all of the heavy stuff when we were travelling home, she cuts my food for me and she even tries not to let the meat touch the other food on the plate (it's a thing). I honestly don't know what I would have done without her help and without her accompanying me to the many doctors appointments I've been on because if this.

As for Chelsea, she's okay. While we were at camp, she was staying with our friends in Seattle because of an airline snafu that was entirely my fault. They almost made it through the whole summer without Chelsea escaping (as she does), but one day about two weeks ago she bolted and ran right into the busy street by their house. She doesn't have any broken bones or internal injuries or anything like that (whew), but she did have to have surgery on her right forepaw because of a HUGE laceration (they say it was more like road rash in that there was a whole chunk of skin missing) that had to be cleaned and repaired. Anyway, now she has a bandage on her right front leg (just like mine on my right hand!) and she has to wear one of those stupid cone collar things to keep her from licking at the bandage. She seems pretty okay, but I'll be glad when the stitches are out and she can exercise again and things can get back to normal. She lost a lot of weight too, which she didn't need to do, so that's worrisome as well.

So aside from my injury and Chelsea's injury and "friends" of mine turning into raging bitches for no apparent reason, there was also the matter of a someone very close to me whose heart was broken repeatedly this summer by the actions and judgements of others. I can't really say anything else about that, but she's trying to put herself together as best she can and I'm trying to help even though I don't know how and I'm probably not doing it right. But I try.

The good things:
1) My staff was great. All of them were new, young, and super talented. I hope I can get at least one of them to come back, but with circus people, you never know.

2) All three of our shows went well.

3) The bears were out ALL THE TIME this summer. We got to see them tons. Some people might think this was a bad thing. I think bears are cool.

4) I went out to the bar a LOT this year. Way more than any other year, that's for sure. I didn't always have a great time, but many times it was good to just be able to be off camp with friends.

5) The kids still make my life worth living. They're the best.

So that's it. Summer at camp crammed in a nutshell. I've been home for less than 48 hours. I still have jet lag, but at least I'm unpacked. I miss camp people, but not as much as I usually do, and I'm anxious to catch up with my Seattle friends, but not that anxious. No offense. I kind of think I need a vacation.